Sugarcane Chronicles Volume I: One and Lonely (ryden)

The Dreaded Stethoscope

*Ryan's POV*

I woke to be greeted by a headache, dry mouth and stuffy nose. That could only mean one thing-I've got a cold.

Maybe I just need some orange juice, I thought to myself as I sat up, only making my headache worse. I coughed and stood up, then made my way down stairs. When I entered the kitchen, Pete was cooking breakfast, which smelled amazing.

"I hope you're ok with chocolate chip pancakes," he said, flipping a pancake over in the pan. "There's tea for you on the table along with a pitcher of orange juice."

I smiled weakly and rubbed my nose, sitting at the table next to an almost normal looking Patrick and hung-over looking Spencer.

"Ryan, don't tell me you're sick, too," Pete said, placing a plate of pancakes on the table.

"I make no promises," I croaked, pouring a glass of orange juice.

"Is that a hickey?" Spencer looked over the top of his sunglasses, eyeing my collar bone. I sighed, remembering the make out session I had with Brendon the day before.

"Awh, baby's first hickey," Pete cooed, sitting in an empty chair next to Patrick.

"Do you guys not remember my last relationship?" I said, sipping on my glass of orange juice. My last relationship didn't end well, but stuff happened. So to say the least, I've had a hickey before.

"Right! Jimmy," Pete said, snapping his fingers.

"No, it was Timmy," Spencer corrected Pete with a mouth full of pancake.

"You guys aren't even close. His name was Daniel," I complained, getting tired of their mockery of my heart break.

"Right. He was a real jerk," Patrick sipped at a glass of orange juice.

"He was not a jerk!" I defended. "He was nice and British."

"Well he broke your heart when he moved back to England, and Jon had to erase his memory before he left, because he knew about the curse," Spencer bickered.

"Do you think I don't know that you inconsiderate dick!" I spat, standing up.

"Whoa there, take it easy," Pete stood up also, placing a hand on my shoulder. I quickly swatted him away.

"You guys are talking about it like it never happened! Like I wasn't effected!" I yelled, tears threatening to flood out of my eyes. "How do you think I feel!?"

"Ryan, calm down," Patrick stood from his chair. "We didn't mean anything bad by it; we thought you were over it and we're sorry."

"Just call me when you have some medicine," I walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room. I lay down on my bed and prepared for the tears that always came when Daniel was mentioned.

After a few minutes of no tears, I tried forcing them out, but still nothing. I let out a small sob before going into a tearless sobbing fit.

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I woke up at the sound of the doorbell. I just groaned, pulling the covers over my head. After a while, I heard footsteps getting closer to my door until there was a knocking at it.

"Don't come in unless you want to be contaminated with sickness!" I exclaimed, instantly regretting it because of the sore throat I had obtained over my nap.

"It's Andy."

"And Joe."

"And Jon."

"Wow, the whole parade's here," I mumbled to myself as I heard my door open.